翻译轻重“神”在先,古典翻译为今人

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翻译轻重“神”在先,古典翻译为今人

10月25日,中共十九大新一届政治局常委在北京人民大会堂同中外记者见面,习近平总书记对媒体介绍各位新当选常委并代表他们发表的讲话通过现场交替传译用英语传达给在场的中外记者,从而成为可以传遍世界的声音。这又为广大外语与 Not angling for compliments, I would be content that my integrity fills the universe.

从这一 第一个问题是专业会议口译者在听到原讲话时必须立即做出的第一判断是什么?这一点我们可以通过中文原文与目标语英文的差异不难得出:二者字面差异明显较大,说明译者首先决定做意译而非直译。

采取意译方式是因为原文听上去有中国传统诗词的特点:逗号前后两部分形式对应,字数相等。然而,由于中西语言文字及其文学传统之间存在的巨大差异,诗词类 斗转星移,岁月如梭。香港已经回归祖国20年。依照中国的传统,男子二十谓之弱冠,今天就是香港特别行政区的成年礼,正所谓“如竹苞矣,如松茂矣”。

译文是:

Time flies fast! It has been 20 years since Hong Kong's return to the motherland. According to China's tradition, a man enters adulthood at the age of 20. So today, we are celebrating the coming of age of the HKSAR, which has grown exuberant like a bamboo or a pine tree.

原文开始的“斗转星移,岁月如梭”简单、概括地译为time flies fast, 最后的“如竹苞矣,如松茂矣”也处理为exuberant like a bamboo or a pine tree这样的简单浓缩而且十分口语话的表达方式,而不再带有诗词的特征。从 又如:

我们将坚定不移推进公平共享,增进更多民众福祉。民惟邦本,本固邦宁。坚持以人民为中心,就要扎扎实实体现在经济社会发展各方面各环节。(2024年9月3日,习近平在二十国集团工商峰会开幕式上的主旨演讲)

We will promote equity and sharing of development outcomes to deliver more benefits to the people. The people are the foundation of a country, and only when the people lead a good life, can the country thrive. We need to be people-oriented. This is a principle that we should follow in everything we do in advancing economic and social development.

在这里,“民惟邦本,本固邦宁”的 还有一个例子:

“靡不有初,鲜克有终。”实现中华民族伟大复兴,需要一代又一代人为之努力。中华民族创造了具有5000多年历史的灿烂文明,也一定能够创造出更加灿烂的明天。(2024年9月3日,习近平在纪念中国人民抗日战争暨世界反法西斯战争胜利70周年阅兵式上发表讲话)

As an ancient Chinese saying goes, "After making a good start, we should ensure that the cause achieves fruition." The great renewal of the Chinese nation requires the dedicated efforts of one generation after another. Having created a splendid civilization of over 5,000 years, the Chinese nation will certainly usher in an even brighter future.

此处一开始就引经据典,原文“靡不有初,鲜克有终” 语出《诗经•大雅•荡》,中国传统文化承传的意味很强。实际上,习近平主席在这一场合引用之后不久中国日报网英语点津就曾有发文进行讨论,并提供了苏格兰著名汉学家理雅各(James Legge)对这句话及其上下文的 All are [good] at first, but few prove themselves to be so at the last.

鉴于“靡不有初,鲜克有终”意思实际上与“善始善终”正好相反,即“善始容易,善终难”,因此,我们还可以考虑其它不同的 It’s not that there are no [good]starts; seldom can there be (good) ends.

It’s not that no good initiatives have been made; it’s rare that they can be carried to the end.

如果不拘泥于字面,再自由随意一些,还可以考虑 Good initiatives are not difficult to find, but accomplishments are rarely seen.

10月25日,中共十九大新一届政治局常委在北京人民大会堂同中外记者见面,习近平总书记对媒体介绍各位新当选常委并代表他们发表的讲话通过现场交替传译用英语传达给在场的中外记者,从而成为可以传遍世界的声音。这又为广大外语与 Not angling for compliments, I would be content that my integrity fills the universe.

从这一 第一个问题是专业会议口译者在听到原讲话时必须立即做出的第一判断是什么?这一点我们可以通过中文原文与目标语英文的差异不难得出:二者字面差异明显较大,说明译者首先决定做意译而非直译。

采取意译方式是因为原文听上去有中国传统诗词的特点:逗号前后两部分形式对应,字数相等。然而,由于中西语言文字及其文学传统之间存在的巨大差异,诗词类 斗转星移,岁月如梭。香港已经回归祖国20年。依照中国的传统,男子二十谓之弱冠,今天就是香港特别行政区的成年礼,正所谓“如竹苞矣,如松茂矣”。

译文是:

Time flies fast! It has been 20 years since Hong Kong's return to the motherland. According to China's tradition, a man enters adulthood at the age of 20. So today, we are celebrating the coming of age of the HKSAR, which has grown exuberant like a bamboo or a pine tree.

原文开始的“斗转星移,岁月如梭”简单、概括地译为time flies fast, 最后的“如竹苞矣,如松茂矣”也处理为exuberant like a bamboo or a pine tree这样的简单浓缩而且十分口语话的表达方式,而不再带有诗词的特征。从 又如:

我们将坚定不移推进公平共享,增进更多民众福祉。民惟邦本,本固邦宁。坚持以人民为中心,就要扎扎实实体现在经济社会发展各方面各环节。(2024年9月3日,习近平在二十国集团工商峰会开幕式上的主旨演讲)

We will promote equity and sharing of development outcomes to deliver more benefits to the people. The people are the foundation of a country, and only when the people lead a good life, can the country thrive. We need to be people-oriented. This is a principle that we should follow in everything we do in advancing economic and social development.

在这里,“民惟邦本,本固邦宁”的 还有一个例子:

“靡不有初,鲜克有终。”实现中华民族伟大复兴,需要一代又一代人为之努力。中华民族创造了具有5000多年历史的灿烂文明,也一定能够创造出更加灿烂的明天。(2024年9月3日,习近平在纪念中国人民抗日战争暨世界反法西斯战争胜利70周年阅兵式上发表讲话)

As an ancient Chinese saying goes, "After making a good start, we should ensure that the cause achieves fruition." The great renewal of the Chinese nation requires the dedicated efforts of one generation after another. Having created a splendid civilization of over 5,000 years, the Chinese nation will certainly usher in an even brighter future.

此处一开始就引经据典,原文“靡不有初,鲜克有终” 语出《诗经•大雅•荡》,中国传统文化承传的意味很强。实际上,习近平主席在这一场合引用之后不久中国日报网英语点津就曾有发文进行讨论,并提供了苏格兰著名汉学家理雅各(James Legge)对这句话及其上下文的 All are [good] at first, but few prove themselves to be so at the last.

鉴于“靡不有初,鲜克有终”意思实际上与“善始善终”正好相反,即“善始容易,善终难”,因此,我们还可以考虑其它不同的 It’s not that there are no [good]starts; seldom can there be (good) ends.

It’s not that no good initiatives have been made; it’s rare that they can be carried to the end.

如果不拘泥于字面,再自由随意一些,还可以考虑 Good initiatives are not difficult to find, but accomplishments are rarely seen.